Campus Monitor - University of California Irvine

Student Voices

May 13, 2017 – UC Irvine Israeli Guest Speaker (Leor) – “Our presence here has such a big impact and just being here is a big deal, since there is no opposing voice. I’ve talked to many [Jewish] students who told me they are afraid – if they stand for what they believe in then they sacrifice their social status and even their safety.” Read more

May 23, 2016 – Former President of UCI Anteaters for Israel (Sharon) – “SJP and MSU (the Muslim Student Association) have a documented history of violence on this campus, specifically violence against Jewish students, myself a victim numerous times, [and my] friends victimized, and their history of sabotaging Jewish events and intimidating Jewish students. Although I am grateful the police were there to do something, the wrong students were escorted out.” Read more

May 23, 2016 – Former IDF soldier and speaker at an event on campus (Eran) – “They were banging on the glass and the door and we could hear screaming outside. The students had a look of panic on their faces—they were terrified. Finally the police arrived, pushed the protesters back a little, and escorted us to our cars.” Read more

May 20, 2016 – UC Irvine Jewish Student (Eliana) – “I was terrified. There is no other word to describe how I felt.” Read more

May 19, 2016 – UC Irvine SSI President (Katrin) – “They were screaming. They tried to push open the door, but we were holding the door from the inside. They had a lawyer with them who said (they had) a right to come in. They were disrupting our event. This is not freedom of speech. It’s harassment. Intifada for me is anti-Semitic.” Read more

Antisemitism Tracker

Total Antisemitic Activity:

To see more information on how AMCHA determines antisemitic activity, click HERE.To report a concern, click HERE.

5/10/17 – The Q & A of an SSI event with Israeli reservists was disrupted by about 40 protesters. According to video footage, after a verbal confrontation between protesters and participants, a protester denigrated a participant of the event who had started to cry, by screaming multiple times, “You don’t deserve to cry!” before the rest of the protesters started breaking out into loud, sustained chants that included, “Israel, Israel you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” “Israel, Israel what do you say? How many people have you killed today?” “Hey hey, ho ho, these colonizers have got to go” “When people are occupied, resistance is justified” and “When people are occupied, disruptions are justified.” The leader of the chants then said, “You people who are colonizers and occupiers, you should not be allowed on this f*cking campus….F*ck you!” Chanting and protesting then continued outside in the hall, blocking the main exit with chants of “No justice, no peace,” “They think it’s a game, they think it’s a joke” “F*ck the police,” “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free,” and “Intifada, Intifada, long live the Intifada,” among other chants. Some of the protesters wore “UC intifada” t-shirts. The Israeli reservists and the audience that came to hear them were escorted out by campus police.

5/18/16 – A Students Supporting Israel event co-sponsored by Hillel was successfully disrupted by SJP and others. According to SSI, “The police had to escort attendees out of the event for their own safety.” Hillel released a statement elaborating that SJP and others, “made aggressive and threatening remarks to participants and physically intimidated and threatened one student attempting to enter the event.” A video of the event showed protesters shouting, “Intifada, Intifada/long live the Intifada,” “displacing people since ‘48/there’s nothing here to celebrate!” and “when people are occupied/resistance is justified.”

SUPPRESSION OF SPEECH/MOVEMENT/ASSEMBLY

10/12/15 – According to sources from an attendee in the room & the Rose Project, retired Chief Justice Aharon Barak was speaking at an event at UC Irvine when police had to interrupt the event to escort him and attendees out. There was a large contingent of 20-30 protestors at the event. One student expressed, “SJP members disrupted Barak’s speech and would not allow the Q&A to proceed, leaving him no choice but to cut the event short and leave abruptly.”

SUPPRESSION OF SPEECH/MOVEMENT/ASSEMBLY; HARASSMENT

4/23/15 – An Anteaters for Israel i-Fest event was disrupted by anti-Israel protestors, who chanted loudly to drown out the event and physically blocked a walkway.

ANTISEMITIC EXPRESSION:

CONDONING TERRORISM; DEMONIZATION; BDS ACTIVITY (CALLS FOR BDS)

5/11/17 – SJP erected a mock “apartheid wall” on campus as part of “Anti-Zionism Week: On this Land.” According to video footage of the wall, one panel said, “Resistance is justified when people are occupied,” and another panel called for BDS. A speaker additionally called for BDS and falsely accused Israel of perpetrating genocide.

DENYING JEWS SELF-DETERMINATION

1/31/17 – At a campus anti-Trump rally, a speaker called for the denial of Jewish self-determination, asking protesters to be against Zionism by stating, “I want you guys to be about anti-Islamophobia; I want you guys to be anti-Zionism; and I want you guys to be anti-Israel because Trump didn’t come up with these things on his own, he got the idea of the wall from Israel.” She then led students in a chant of “from Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go.”

DELEGITIMIZATION; BDS ACTIVITY (CALLS FOR BDS)

5/17/16 – In a build-up to a planned disruption of a Jewish pro-Israel event on campus, SJP posted an image on Facebook that stated, “Boycott UCIsrael 2016. We refuse to celebrate settler-colonialism.” A second image stated, “IDF presence on campus normalizes Israeli settler-colonialism in the name of ‘Independence.’ Boycott UCIsrael 2016”

HISTORICAL; DEMONIZATION;

5/4/16 – Neturei Karta Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss spoke as part of “Anti-Zionism Week” on “The difference between and anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.” The event was sponsored by the Muslim Student Union, Students for Justice in Palestine, the American Indian Student Association, and Jewish Voice for Peace. During his talk, Weiss made several remarks about Zionism and Zionists that employed classic anti-Semitic tropes accusing Jews of mendacity, criminality and controlling the government and media, canards made popular in the fabricated anti-Semitic text, Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Weiss likened Zionism to “a Madoff scheme,” claimed Zionists have “billions and billions of dollars” and use their money to intimidate “the media” and “any politician who dares …to show too much sympathy for the Palestinian cause”, and stated that “newspapers are conglomerates that are owned or controlled by Zionist organizations.”

CONDONED TERRORISM; DELEGITIMIZATION

5/3/16 – An event on campus in support of “Anti-Zionist Week” involved, according to MSU, a “[m]ock funeral procession of a Palestinian martyr. #AZW2016″ where participants held a large banner saying, “End Apartheid” with another participant holding a sign saying “Long Live the Intifada.”

5/2/16 – On the first day of “Anti-Zionist Week” held by The Muslim Student Union, Jewish Voice for Peace, Students for Justice in Palestine, and the American Indian Student Association, an apartheid wall was erected on campus. One panel of the wall condoned terrorism with an image of convicted hijacker Leila Khaled with a gun under the caption, “Women Leading Resistance” and another panel showed a tank under the caption, “Expect Resistance.” A nearby sign read, “Resistance is justified when people are occupied.” A different panel of the wall showed all of Israel as, “occupied territory” and another panel called for BDS.

COMPARING JEWS TO NAZIS

2/19/16 – SJP held the event “UNLEARNING ZIONISM: A Workshop and Discussion” with the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. The Facebook promotion for the event included a picture of the Warsaw Ghetto with the caption “Warsaw 1944” next to an image from Gaza saying “Gaza 2009,” which insinuated a comparison between the Holocaust and Gaza.

September 1, 2017: UCI Office of Inclusive Excellence – Student Conduct Review Regarding Incident of May 10, 2017(Description note: “Based on the review, it was determined that a group of individuals organized by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) disrupted a portion of the question-and-answer period, in violation of university policy. As a result, SJP was sanctioned with disciplinary probation for two academic years, ending June 16, 2019. During this time, the organization must abide by UCI’s standards of conduct, meet with the Dean of Students six times per year to discuss free speech issues, and consult with a representative of the dean’s office before hosting or co-hosting any campus event. Any further violations of university policy may result in suspension or a revocation of the organization’s status.” )

February 1, 2017: Campus Reform – Anti-Trump protest morphs into ‘anti-Israel’ rally at UCI(Description note, “The student proceeds to inform the protesters exactly what she thinks they should be protesting, asserting that Trump’s rhetoric regarding illegal immigration is copied directly from Israel’s approach toward the West Bank and Gaza. ‘I want you guys to be about anti-Islamophobia; I want you guys to be anti-Zionism; and I want you guys to be anti-Israel because Trump didn’t come up with these things on his own,’ she tells the crowd. ‘He got the idea of the wall from Israel.’ She then leads students in a new chant, shouting, ‘from Palestine to Mexico/all the walls have got to go.’”)

December 15, 2016: The Wall Street Journal – A Bill to Police Campus Speech(Description note, “Schools can prevent and punish threats, harassment and destruction of property, but never the expression of views…We agree that the problem of anti-Semitism on campus, and in society generally, is real and ought to be addressed. There are many steps colleges can take. They should ensure that Jewish and pro-Zionist students are included and that the proud expression of Jewish identity on campus is welcomed. Universities should make clear that attempts to disrupt events organized by Jewish or pro-Israel students will not be tolerated. Campus leaders should speak out against hateful speech, and they can react swiftly to any actual threats, harassment or destruction of property….Mr. Chemerinsky is the dean of the law school at the University of California, Irvine, where Mr. Gillman is the chancellor.”)

October 11, 2016: UCI Chancellor Gillman – AMP, CAIR, JVP, National Lawyers Guild and Pal Legal letter (Description note, “We support the student demands for administrative action, including that UCI administrators: (1) unequivocally denounce the Horowitz posters, and request similar denunciation from the UC Regents and President Napolitano; (2) reaffirm that Students for Justice in Palestine is a student group that engages in education and peaceful advocacy for human rights; and (3) arrange a meeting between yourself and Students for Justice in Palestine to learn about their experience as students at UCI.”)

August 8, 2016: UCI Office of Inclusive Excellence – Chancellor Gillman’s Statement, “Principles Against Intolerance” (Description note, “The Regents of the University of California’s March 2016 approval of “The Statement of Principles Against Intolerance” reaffirmed the university’s long-standing view that “Acts of hatred and other intolerant conduct, as well as acts of discrimination that demean our differences, are antithetical to the values of the University and serve to undermine its purpose.” The Regents also recognize that “Freedom of expression and freedom of inquiry are paramount” and the “University will vigorously defend the principles of the First Amendment.” UCI fully and openly supports these principles, from our policies and procedures to our communication and activities, which are woven into the university’s daily life. To ensure alignment with the Regents’ statement, Provost Lavernia has asked Douglas Haynes, vice provost for Academic Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, to lead a comprehensive assessment of UCI’s related policies, procedures and practices. Vice Provost Haynes will consult with longstanding community partners as well as with students, the Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture & Inclusion, the Academic Senate, and other groups to provide an overview of existing support and educational programs, and make recommendations on additional steps the campus can take to ensure the full implementation of all elements of the Regents’ statement. UCI is firmly committed to a positive campus climate for all members of our community. We look forward to Vice Provost Haynes’ assessment, expected to be completed by mid-October. I thank everyone in advance for their constructive engagement with this important work.”)

May 24, 2016: SJP UCI Facebook – SJP response to Chancellor Gillman’s email concerning protest against SSI (Description note, “Once again, the paternalistic emails coming from Howard Gillman’s office remind us to be civil, instructing us on how to have discussions without infringing on free speech. The most recent email, “Respecting the Lines of Civility,” addresses an action against the Israeli Occupation Forces soldiers at a Students Supporting Israel film screening last week, raising important questions about safety and civility. Where are the “lines” of civility and free speech? Who determines when they are crossed?… “Civility” as an ideology is a pillar of white supremacist imperialism… When (some) people “[fear] for their safety,” police are called to protect them. Rhetoric of safety and protection functions interestingly here — some deserve to be protected, some do not. Whose safety matters? Perhaps the validation of emotion is tied to which bodies the university seeks to protect — which bodies it sees as valuable. Civility reveals itself to be wholly irrational — the only rational response to calls for civility may be to become willfully uncivil. To act out. To disrupt and disorient. … We must continue to challenge limits. We must cross the lines of civility, not respect them…. Boundaries must be breached. … And we should always remain vigilant against civility.”)

May 3, 2016: New University – Conservative Speaker David Horowitz to Visit UCI During Anti-Zionism Week (Description note, “Students for Justice in Palestine declined to comment on Horowitz specifically, believing he “does not deserve our attention,” but instead questioned the role of the UCI administration. ‘We hold UCI accountable for allowing such harmful, violent people, who vehemently support genocide and settler colonialism on our campus, and will not engage in any commentary aside from condemnation,’ said SJP in a statement to The New University.”)

October 14, 2015: The Jewish Week – BDS Money Trail Suggests Opaque Funding Network (Description note, “Here is a sample of the student funds provided to SJP in the 2014-15 school year from some of the more challenging campuses: University of California, Irvine: $600”)

May 19, 2015: Jewish Journal – A letter to President Napolitano and Chancellor Gillman on ‘anti-Zionism week’(Description note, “Anti-Zionism Week subjects Jewish students to an entire week of racist events dedicated to undermining their right to liberation and self-determination. Moreover we are extremely concerned that Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Muslim Student Union (MSU) are selling t-shirts that say “UC Intifada” as part of this campaign. For Israeli students in particular, the word “intifada” triggers deeply traumatic memories of innocent people being brutally murdered in suicide bombings and other attacks by racist terrorist organizations. This bigoted series of events, along with SJP and MSU’s celebration of violence, creates a hostile learning environment on campus for many Jewish and Israeli students, who are minorities on all UC campuses….As such, we call on you to publicly condemn UC Irvine’s “Anti-Zionism Week” and adopt the resolutions passed at UCLA, UCSB and UC Berkeley as the official policy of the entire UC system.

Sincerely,
AEPi at UCLA
AEPi at UCSB
AEPi at UCSC
AEPi at UCSD
Alpha Epsilon Phi at UCSD
Anteaters for Israel
Chabbad at UCLA
Bears for Israel
Bruins for Israel
Grant Fineman, President of AEPi at UC Berkeley
Gauchopac (AIPAC at UCSB)
Gouchos United for Israel
Highlanders for Israel
Hillel at UCLA
JAM at UCLA
Students Supporting Israel at UCLA
Tritons for Israel”)

May 4, 2015:Front Page Magazine – Pro-Israel Student Group Meets Opposition from Jewish Leadership(Description note, “ iFest’s Thursday festival on April 23rd was also met with the yearly protest of the anti-Israel constituency at UCI, spearheaded by the Muslim Student Union (MSU) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). They attempted to drown out AFI music and the rest of the celebration with tiresomely familiar chants about Israeli “apartheid” and the “occupation” of Palestine. In a notable allusion to the protesters’ support for Palestinian terrorism, the protesters chanted, “When people are occupied, resistance is justified,” echoing similar statements made by the genocidal Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.”)

May 3, 2015:New University – iFest Protests Stifle Conversation(Description note, “Far from being an isolated incident, this is par for the course “anti-Israel” campus activists, whose ignorant playbook consists of the single, tired play of putting out one-sided propaganda, lies and half-truths about Israel, stifling any sort of rational discussion about the conflict, then either chanting to shut down “pro-Israel” speakers and events or pressuring students with no knowledge of the conflict to boycott the Jewish state.”)

May 1, 2015: Fousequawk – My Letter to UC Irvine Re: I-Fest Protest(Description note, “I am writing to express my concern over the incident April 23, in which pro-Palestinian students loudly disrupted the I-Fest event hosted by Anteaters for Israel. While I will not challenge the First Amendment right of these students to express their feelings, however boorishly, I question the appropriateness of the Cross Cultural Center once again allowing its facility to be used as a staging area for students to disrupt Jewish events on campus. I also question the actions of Mr Shalom Elcott of the Orange County Jewish Federation during the event.
I was present and witnessed the protesters coming out of the CCC to begin their protest. This is the second straight year I have witnessed this occur.”)

April 23, 2015: Fousesquawk – Pro-Palestinians Mar I-Fest at UC Irvine(Description note, “Anteaters for Israel, or AFI, held its annual “I-Fest.” Everything was running smoothly during the morning hours, but around twelve o’clock noon… pro-Palestinian protesters came marching out of the Cross Cultural Center (more about that later) located directly behind the I-Fest tables. They proceeded to march to a spot a few yards away from the AFI tables where they spread out across Ring Road, forcing other students to have to walk around their lines. They then began changing…They continued for over two hours drowning out the AFI music and distracting all the attention away from the I-Fest proceedings…This is the second year that the anti-I-Fest protesters have staged in the CCC and marched out to disrupt this event. In fact, for years the Muslim Student Union has used the CCC as their staging area. As far as I am concerned, the CCC has put its imprimatur on disrupting Jewish events at UCI.”)

October 30, 2014: Aljazeera America – Reclaiming the Jewish soul (description note: article written by Mark LeVine is a professor of modern Middle Eastern history at the University of California at Irvine)

August 12, 2014: COMPILED LIST – Supporters of UAW 2865 Resolution Calling for Academic Boycott of Israel (Description note – contains the names of graduate students, teaching assistants, readers, etc who exclaimed public support of the antisemitic Student Union Worker’s BDS resolution, which stated the need to “educate” others on the “settler-colonial” and “apartheid” nature of the Jewish state).